In 2001, 2.3 million people aged 15-64 years held more than one non-school qualification.

In addition to the personal satisfaction people can gain from acquiring new skills and knowledge, obtaining a qualification can increase the chance of gaining paid work and of working in a preferred job. A qualification can provide a pathway to career progression, or a change in work, or can update skills required in an increasingly technological workforce. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on lifelong learning with people taking different pathways at different times of their lives in order to obtain or upgrade their workplace and life skills, and their qualifications.1

Not all qualifications are gained by young people straight after leaving school and many people achieve more than one qualification over the course of their adult lives. This article focuses on multiple qualification holders, that is people aged 15-64 years, with two or more non-school qualifications.

MORE THAN ONE NON-SCHOOL QUALIFICATION

In 2001, just over half (51%) of 15-64 year olds held a non-school qualification - almost 6.6 million Australians. Of these, more than a third (2.3 million people) held more than one non-school qualification. Many of these multiple qualification holders (65%) had two non-school qualifications, and 810,000 (35%) had three or more. While the proportion of people with non-school qualifications who had more than one such qualification was similar in 1997 and 2001, the number of people with two or more non-school qualifications increased by over 449,000 people.

Consistent with the longer time they had had in their adult lives to undertake more courses of study, 45-64 year olds were the most likely of all age groups to hold multiple qualifications (40% of people in this age group had non-school qualifications having multiple qualifications). At the other end of the age spectrum, many young people have not had the time to complete more than one non-school qualification. Despite this, in 2001, 181,000 people aged 15-24 years had two or more non-school qualifications. They represented 23% of people with non-school qualifications in this age group.

In 2001, 37% of multiple qualification holders had highest and second highest qualifications that were at the same level, while 61% held them in the same field.

Non-school qualifications

The data in this article come from the ABS 2001 Survey of Education and Training, which collected information on the educational attainment of people aged 15-64 years.

Multiple qualification holders are people aged 15-64 years with two or more non-school qualifications.

Non-school qualifications are awarded for educational attainments other than those of pre-primary, primary, or secondary education. They may be obtained concurrently with school qualifications.

Level of qualification is a ranking of qualifications according to the quality and quantity of learning involved in obtaining those qualifications. It is categorised according to the 'Level of education' classification in the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED).

Field of study is the subject matter taught in the course of study leading to the award of a particular qualification. It is categorised according to the 'Field of education' classification in the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED).

Persons aged 15-64 years with non-school qualifications: number of qualifications - 2001

LEVELS OF MULTIPLE QUALIFICATIONS

The proportion of people with multiple non-school qualifications increased with the level of their highest qualification. In 2001, people aged 15-64 years with Postgraduate degrees were the most likely to have two or more non-school qualifications (96%), while those with Certificates I/II were the least likely (17%). This reflects both the hierarchical nature of the level of qualification classification and the academic requirement for people to have an undergraduate qualification in order to undertake postgraduate study. That said, not all qualifications are gained according to a hierarchy, with some people gaining vocational educational and training qualifications after gaining a Bachelor degree or higher.

In 2001, almost 1.5 million multiple qualification holders held their highest and second highest non-school qualifications at different levels. Of those in this group whose highest qualification was a Postgraduate degree, 97% had a second qualification that was a Bachelor degree or higher. For those whose highest qualification was a Graduate diploma or certificate, 81% had a Bachelor degree or higher. For those whose highest qualification was a Bachelor degree or higher, 34% had a second qualification at the level of Advanced diploma or diploma level or below. This represented 397,000 people with vocational educational and training qualifications who also held higher education qualifications.

MULTIPLE QUALIFICATION HOLDERS(A):
WHETHER HIGHEST AND SECOND HIGHEST QUALIFICATIONS AT SAME LEVEL AND IN SAME FIELD - 2001

%

Both at same level(b)

36.6

Both in same field(c)

60.7

'000

Multiple qualification holders(d)

2,322.9

%

As a proportion of all people with non-school qualifications

35.3

(a) Persons aged 15-64 years with two or more non-school qualifications.(b) People whose level of qualifications were not determined were excluded prior to the calculation of percentages.(c) People whose field of qualification was not determined, and those with qualifications in Mixed fields were excluded prior to the calculation of percentages.(d) Includes people whose level of qualifications were not determined, those whose field of qualification was not determined, and those with qualifications in Mixed fields.

Source: ABS 2001 Survey of Education and Training.

FIELDS OF MULTIPLE QUALIFICATIONS

In 2001, the highest qualifications of people with two or more non-school qualifications were distributed across fields of study in similar proportions to the highest qualification of all people with qualifications. However, people were slightly more likely to have two or more non-school qualifications if their highest non-school qualification was in one of the following fields: Education, Society and culture, Health, and to a lesser extent Natural and physical sciences.

For people with two or more non-school qualifications, 61% had their second highest non-school qualification in the same field as their highest. This proportion varied across fields of study, from 42% for Information technology to 73% for Engineering and related technologies.

For multiple qualification holders who held their second highest qualification in a different field to their highest, 22% held their second highest qualification in the field of Management and commerce. Across fields of study, Management and commerce was the most common field of second highest qualification for seven of the 10 broad fields of study considered (other than Management and commerce itself). For those whose highest non-school qualification was in the field of Education, their second qualification was most likely, after Education, to be in the field of Society and culture (17%). Engineering and related technology was the next most common field of study (16%) for people whose highest non-school qualification was in Architecture and building.

For each field of study of highest non-school qualification, there were people whose second highest qualification was in each of the other fields of study. However, overall 82% of people had their second highest non-school qualification in either the same field as their highest or in Management and commerce.

MULTIPLE QUALIFICATION HOLDERS(A): LEVEL OF QUALIFICATIONS - 2001

Level of highest non-school qualification

Level of second highest non-school qualification

Postgraduate degree

Graduate diploma/ Graduate certificate

Bachelor degree

Advanced diploma/ Diploma

CertificateIII/IV

CertificateI/II(b)

%

%

%

%

%

%

Postgraduate degree

16.6

..

..

..

..

..

Graduate diploma/Graduate certificate

19.5

12.8

..

..

..

..

Bachelor degree

60.5

67.7

38.5

..

..

..

Advanced diploma/Diploma

2.1

13.8

39.8

29.3

..

..

Certificate III/IV

1.0

4.0

11.2

41.6

44.8

..

Certificate I/II(b)

0.2

1.6

10.4

29.0

55.2

100.0

Total(c)

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

'000

'000

'000

'000

'000

'000

Total(d)

291.9

388.0

522.4

351.3

466.1

249.4

(a) People aged 15-64 years with two or more non-school qualifications.(b) Includes certificate not further defined.(c) People whose level of second highest qualification was not determined were excluded prior to the calculation of percentages.(d) Includes people whose level of second highest qualification was not determined.

Source: ABS 2001 Survey of Education and Training.

MULTIPLE QUALIFICATION HOLDERS(A): FIELDS OF QUALIFICATIONS - 2001

Persons(b)

Persons(b)Second highest qualification in same field

Most common field of second highest qualification other than same field

Field of highest qualification

'000

% of persons

Field

% of persons

Natural and physical sciences

90.4

59.1

Education

6.6

Information technology

80.4

42.0

Management and commerce

18.6

Engineering and related technology

393.9

73.3

Management and commerce

8.6

Architecture and building

98.7

63.7

Engineering and related technology

16.0

Agriculture, environmental and related fields

57.8

46.6

Management and commerce

17.5

Health

287.3

72.2

Management and commerce

7.6

Education

292.5

45.8

Society and culture

17.3

Management and commerce

473.5

63.2

Engineering and related technology

9.2

Society and culture

345.5

55.9

Management and commerce

13.6

Creative arts

91.0

55.6

Management and commerce

14.0

Food, hospitality and personal services

85.8

50.1

Management and commerce

20.2

All multiple qualification holders(c)

2,322.9

60.7

Management and commerce

21.6

(a) People aged 15-64 years with two or more non-school qualifications.(b) Includes people whose field of second highest qualification was not determined, and those whose second highest qualifications were in Mixed fields.(c) Includes people whose field of highest qualification was not determined, and those whose highest qualifications were in Mixed fields.